Movie Soundtracks of the Month: Song Association Vol. 1

June 22nd 2012, 3:31am

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

There are many things that make a movie what it is. It all starts with a story (according to what every How-To book on screenwriting tells us), there is the director and his crew, there are the actors, who bust their asses to bring a vision to life. Then comes the wonderful world of post-production. What is one result of that? The music. Soundtracks enhance the movie going experience. They can make us cry, they can pump us up, they can make us remember the 80’s. Whether it be a musical band or a composer, soundtracks help our favorite movies stay etched in our mind forever.

This week I’ve decided to focus on one of the aspects I love so much about movies, that being the songs that can often become associated with a film and being made famous by it. These songs become just as iconic as the films themselves most of the time, and there is such a vast quantity of them that they can’t all be covered in one article. But here’s a few:

1. DON’T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) BY SIMPLE MINDS (BREAKFAST CLUB)

Songs like this, featured in movies like the Breakfast Club are one of the reasons I wish I was born at some point in the mid 70’s so I would have been able to fully enjoy the 80’s. When I say things like that, my parents look at me like I’m crazy. But hey, I guess I was at an advantage being able to watch movies from the 80’s decade and listen to Don’t You Forget About Me once a week without having to wear the clothes. What do you think? Purchase the soundtrack here

2. EYE OF THE TIGER BY SURVIVOR (ROCKY III)

I’ve never been a very active person in the workout department as others, but you don’t have to be that training to fight for the title to be uplifted by this baby. As I write this for instance, listening to this song, it’s inspiring me to get my ass up from the couch and go for a run after I get this article submitted. That’s powerful. Throughout the years the Rocky soundtracks has featured many gems, I’m also a big fan of ‘Burning Heart.’ Purchase the soundtrack here

3. POWER OF LOVE BY HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (BACK TO THE FUTURE)

Back to the Future is in my top five favorite trilogies of all time. I was lucky enough to be able to partake in the theatrical re-release of the film recently. Hearing the iconic score by Silvestri and songs like this and ‘Back in Time’ blare through the speakers, it was one of those special reminders to a film lover why he/she loves film, and the theater experience as a whole. Thanks a million Huey Lewis, slap hands! Purchase the soundtrack here

4. GHOSTBUSTERS BY RAY PARKER JR. (GHOSTBUSTERS)

All this hoopla about an upcoming Ghostbusters 3 has been present in the headlines for a while now, I’m of the opinion that with or without Bill Murray it should be left alone, but what do I know? But what I do know is that with a weak script very little can save it, but…hearing this song in the theater again, EXACTLY as it is, would be a step in the right direction. No recreation necessary. Does that explain how much I love the sh*t out of this song? If it doesn’t I don’t know we will. Guess I’m just easy to please. Purchase the soundtrack here

5. MY HEART WILL GO ON BY CELINE DION (TITANIC)

Some people love Titanic as a film, some people hate it. Some people love this long, some people hate it (i.e. Kate Winslet). As for me, I love a good love story/song when it’s done right, and I bought the doomed romance between Jack and Kate so I felt Celine Dion’s gem. The woman sang the hell out of this song, didn’t she? Aside from the late Whitney Houston, I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a set of lungs like hers. My Heart Will Go On definitely benefited from that. Purchase the soundtrack here